Catoctin clarion., 1887-05-12
NOT ENCOURAGING TO PEN DRIVERS.

Joc Howard Writes OF the Inevitable
Poverty Of Journalistic Life.
The rich men in journalism are not the best
writer's. There are men who would hnve
shown quite us brilliantly behind the calico
counter, in the button factory or in the
whisky still. It doesn't make them any less
men because they had the faculty of money
saving, nor an such an iHot as to assume
for moment that because Il man IN journal
ism or in literary life is rich he is untitled
for his calling but do contend that the men
who have aniaSSed great fortunes in journal
ism and in literary life arc the publishers
rather than the editors and writer's Take the
IIarpcrS for instance. What better illuStra-
ton could be asked than that Not one Of
them writer's. They are all rich, but how
many of their editors and writers have money
to tho fore Take the cnsc Of Conant. Al
though he was with the Hurpers the greater
part of his literary life; although he served
them with intelligent vitality, bringing to
their use rare qualities OF mind and OF heart
and exceptional culture, he hadn't a dollar
when he went away, nor has his wife and
family to-day save what they earn by the
happy, fclcitous combination Of brain and
hand.
~rhe first managing editor of Tho New
York Times whom remember was Alcxan-
der G. Wilson. He died in poverty. Tho
managing editor of The New York World
was David &. Croly: He is working to-day,
as is his wife, Jennie Junc--conStant, indie
fatguble, never resting are they, working
to-day az much as they did thirty years ago,
when they began The writers on TIE Her
aid, can you find me one with money! Those
on The World, can you find me one with
money. The writer's on The Times The 1'ri-
bunc, The Sun-not one OF them with money
as men in commerce speak of money. Now
and t.-n you will find n man who, from his
salary of $50 or 800 Il week, saves so or
$50; but how ,Ander heavens, can he think
that the savings So accumulated could be
even Il pittance in the eye of the words
And once used up they are done with.
A squeezed sponge Is better than they, bc-
cause the sponge may fill up again--they
can't They are best illustrated by squeezed
orange, for which there is no reviviratiorl,
Raymond, the brainy editor of The Times.
died comparatively poor, and had it not been
for the Shrewdness with which the infamics
of the Tweed ring were utilized by George
Jones, the publisher, and his associates, the
Raymond estate would have panned ont next
to nothing. Horace Greeley was proverbially
untitled for manipulation in money affairs,
and Charles y. Dana is to-day rich man
not because he had a mercantile head but be-
cause he had brains enough to utilize Oppor-
tunitics and to utilize good men. He had in
his business Office the best business manager
known at the time in journalism, a life long
friend, n devoted coInrade, and Mr.. Dana's
wealth today comes to him not because no
earned it as n writer, but because he had in
his staff n man who knew where to place tho
good things that Dana and his accomplished
young men, as he calls them, prepared from
day to day. No, indeed; as II rule, when you
find the man at the head of tho paper rich,
you will find him not n writer.
Charles A. Dana is the one exception. Mr..
Bennett never dreams OF writing. Why
should he!-Joe Howard's Letter.